BookLife Review: Carnegie's Maid, by Marie Benedict

historical fiction, Andrew Carnegie, Pittsburgh, romance, Irish immigrant, public libraries

Solid 19th Century historical fiction set in Pittsburgh, Carnegie’s Maid gives a believable narrative context to the life and wealth-building of renowned Scottish immigrant, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie’s love interest in the novel, a highly educated Irish immigrant and lady's maid, Clara is the story’s protagonist. She is well-educated, but her emigration from Ireland without means landed her as a lady’s maid for Andrew’s mother.

Clara also operates as literary device of sorts. Because of the combination of Clara’s intelligence, literary fund of knowledge and underlying poverty, her association with Carnegie (clothed in loose historical innuendo, not entirely documented ) would explain the impetus for Carnegie’s acquisitions and his extraordinary generosity in creating public libraries and educational institutions for all, including the poor. Author Marie Benedict serves us all by unwrapping this and other stories about some of history's less often celebrated characters.